Barcelona and Lyon on course for Women’s Champions League final clash

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Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas (C) celebrates with teammates following the 1st-leg gain around Wolfsburg at the Camp Nou&#13
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Holders Barcelona and document seven-time winners Lyon are on training course for a Women’s Champions League last showdown future month as they consider leads into the next legs of their semi-remaining ties this weekend.

A Barcelona facet captained by reigning Ballon d’Or Alexia Putellas surface unstoppable in the women’s match, as last week’s 5-1 trouncing of Wolfsburg at the Camp Nou shown.

Putellas, 28, scored twice following before objectives by Aitana Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen and Jennifer Hermoso as Barcelona outclassed the Germans and still left by themselves with 1 foot in the Turin final even right before Saturday’s return leg.

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PSG’s Czech goalkeeper Barbora Votikova experienced a disastrous evening in the initial leg against Lyon&#13
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Jill Roord’s purpose in Catalonia was a mere consolation for Wolfsburg, who will require minimal brief of a miracle if they are to get to a sixth remaining in 10 yrs.

Barcelona have been in two of the last three finals and are in search of to keep the title after crushing Chelsea 4- in Gothenburg final 12 months.

The Spanish champions have won their very last 45 game titles in a row, and they have extra than captured the creativity domestically, with the initial leg attracting a environment document crowd for a women’s video game of 91,648.

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PSG’s Kheira Hamraoui missed the 1st leg versus Lyon and will once more miss the return&#13
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“Two or three a long time back we had been two or a few concentrations below them, but we have improved a lot, specifically bodily,” said Barca’s Spanish worldwide midfielder, Patri Guijarro, of the comparison involving her crew and Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg mentor Tommy Stroot admitted his side will be enjoying mainly for delight at the Volkswagen Arena.

“Beating a workforce like this 5-1 or a lot more in the return leg may possibly not be a reasonable technique, but we’ll nonetheless be wanting to go out there and give a a great deal greater account of ourselves,” he said.

– French history crowd –

Lyon, who beat Barcelona in the 2019 final, have a 10th final in 13 seasons in just achieve right after beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in the 1st leg of their all-French very last-four tie.

The sides satisfy once more at the Parc des Princes on Saturday and the face will be watched by a new document attendance in the region for a women’s club video game.

Around 37,000 tickets had been offered by Wednesday, currently shattering the prior mark of 30,661 for a league activity among the two teams in Lyon in 2019.

Ada Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, could have been in the Lyon line-up but the star of the initial leg was Catarina Macario, the United States worldwide who netted two times.

Lyon have twice beaten PSG in the semi-finals and also arrived out on top when the teams fulfilled in the 2017 ultimate, although they are established to reclaim the domestic title from the Parisians.

Nevertheless in reality the main change involving the golf equipment in the initial leg was the goalkeeping performance of PSG’s Barbora Votikova, who was at fault for all three targets conceded together with a farcical gaffe for Lyon’s remaining counter.

– Hamraoui affair –

“We had been all unhappy about her general performance. We had a sensation of helplessness but we are all driving her and we are certain that we will qualify for the ultimate thanks to her,” insisted PSG coach Didier Olle-Nicolle soon after the very first leg.

PSG’s preparations have been hampered by the slide-out from the unresolved attack on their French international midfielder Kheira Hamraoui.

She did not participate in in the very first leg following a education-floor clash with team-mate Sandy Baltimore, and will not attribute in the return both.

Very last November, Hamraoui, 32, was dragged from a auto and overwhelmed on the legs with an iron bar.

Aminata Diallo, Hamraoui’s team-mate, was detained by law enforcement quickly after the incident but has always denied involvement.

Hamraoui’s relationship with various of her teammates has reportedly deteriorated mainly because they blame her for Diallo’s arrest.

Women’s Champions League fixtures on Saturday (instances GMT)

Semi-last second legs

Wolfsburg (GER) v Barcelona (ESP) (1600)

– Barcelona received very first leg 5-1

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Lyon (FRA) (1900)

– Lyon gained first leg 3-2

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